Chelsea boss, Antonio Conte, has explained why the Blues fell 1-0 to Manchester City on Sunday in the Premier League.

The Italian also explained why he adopted the tactics he used against rampaging Pep Guardiola’s side.

The Blues created few chances as Manchester City controlled the game throughout, with Pep Guardiola’s side now 18 points clear at the top.

Reacting to the loss, Conte said, “The effort was an important effort by the players but despite this we conceded a goal after 30 seconds in the second half and after that it was difficult to come back.

“We played against a team with fantastic quality. They have a great mentality and we must give the best compliment for Manchester City.

“When you play against City you have to try not to concede space between the lines and space on the pitch because they are incredible on the ball.“We tried to have patience”

"If we did not concede a goal after 30 seconds maybe it could have been more simple.”

On his tactics, Conte added, “We tried to have patience. When you are 1-0 down you can always have the possibility to score. When you concede the space to Manchester City there is the risk for the game to finish 3 or 4-0.

“When you play against a team that has shown to be stronger than you for a lot – because 25 points is a big difference – you have to think with your brain and not your head because otherwise you finish with a bad loss and that’s not good for the players.”

Chelsea sit fifth with nine games to go and are now five points behind fourth-placed Tottenham.